


Daffodils and Insurance Fraud

by 11peach_bunny11



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Assassin Keith (Voltron), BAMF Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith gay panics throughout, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance tries so hard, Like, M/M, POV Keith (Voltron), Prince Lance (Voltron), Soft Keith (Voltron), klance, this entire thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:55:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28142727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/11peach_bunny11/pseuds/11peach_bunny11
Summary: It was supposed to be like any other job--get in, kill the bastard, and get out. Easy-peasy. Nothing to it. But when Keith infiltrates Prince Lance's castle on a mission to kill him, he finds himself only filled with bewilderment."Why would anyone want this man dead?"---Or Keith is an assassin sent to murder Lance, but finds maybe he really doesn't want to?
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 105





	Daffodils and Insurance Fraud

“Keith!” Shiro calls, sliding up next to him at the bar, “You’ve got a new job.”

Keith puts his drink down, his eyebrows raising. From the corner of his eye, he watches as Pidge scoots a bit closer as she continues to polish a glass that is well and clean already. He snorts silently at her antics before turning his full attention to Shiro. “Oh?” He says.

Shiro nods, lowering his voice. The bar, owned by Shiro himself, was their safe house and front, and for all the years they’d been in this business no issues had arisen. But one could never be too careful when one worked in murder. “The client’s target is the Prince and current ruler of Sabor. The kingdom’s on the brink of bankruptcy, probably due to the Prince lining his own pockets,” Shiro says with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. “Sources say he’s very much a flirt, so he’s probably buying up women or throwing overly expensive and unnecessary parties. You know the drill by now,” Shiro says with a wave of his hand. Keith nods.

Being an honor-bound assassin ment Keith’s only targets were the greedy and corrupt. He’d done this plenty of times, and this job would be no different from any other. “Right,” he says, “when do I start?”

“The client requested you start as soon as possible.”

“Do we know who the client is?” Pidge suddenly pipes up.

“No,” Shiro says with a shake of his head, so used to her popping into conversations she wasn’t supposed to be a part of by now he didn’t even flinch, “they asked to remain anonymous. If I had to guess, I’d say it's probably one of the people working in the castle. Matt said he spoke in proper.” Shiro shrugs. Pidge pouts, having never liked not knowing all the details. However, clients remaining anonymous was pretty common, so Keith nods his head, downs the rest of his drink, and hops off the stool. 

“I guess I’ll go get ready then,” he says with a grin. Shiro waves him goodbye as Pidge pushes her glasses up--a clear sign she was about to interrogate Shiro for all the info he had regarding Keith’s mission. Darting up the stairs to the second floor, Keith nearly runs Hunk right over. 

“Sorry!” He yells back as he bursts into his room. Already, he can feel his pulse start to quicken, excitement swirling in his stomach. Going out on missions always gave Keith an adrenaline rush. Grabbing his cloak, pre packed bag, and another knief laying on his bedside table, Keith looks out the window, seeing the sun has already set. He pauses momentarily, wondering briefly if he should wait until morning to leave. But he can feel the blood pumping in his veins, every breath in and out of his lungs, and he knows if he stays here he’s only going to pace himself into exhaustion. Might as well use that energy getting to the target’s kingdom instead. 

Grinning, Keith runs back down the stairs, gives a wave to all the people in the bar with a shout that he’ll be back soon, and is off into the night. 

\---

Infiltrating the castle guard was… shockingly easy. The moment Keith entered the capital he’d spotted a job flyer for guard positions. In fact, he’d spotted them on every surface a flyer the length of his legs could be on. They were everywhere, and considering how large they were they were also incredibly hard to miss. ‘Is the Prince trying to create an army or something?’ Keith had wondered in bewilderment. To add to his puzzlement, the only thing the castle required was the person be at least 21 and have a citizen’s id, which Keith had a fake of so that wasn’t what concerned him. ‘Shouldn’t the prince want… experienced people to be the ones guarding him?’ Keith had thought as he searched the flyer for any more information. But that was all. Keith had been so prepared, having come up with a solid backstory and all the credentials a corrupt prince could want, but apparently he didn’t need any of that… 

“Well, I suppose this makes my job easier so, whatever,” Keith remembers mumbling at the time. 

However, as Keith walks behind the person who hired him just an hour ago--a commanding officer he thinks--as he’s given a tour of the castle after a five minute interview that consisted of the officer checking his id and asking his name, he can’t help but feel that bewilderment building up inside him again. It was never supposed to be this easy. There has to be some kind of trick… but thus far nothing’s happened to him. At this point, Keith is just waiting for some monster to jump out of the shadows so everything will return to normalcy. 

“And this is the guard’s hall. You’ll be able to sleep and eat here--foods free by the way, a perk of working for the castle. I’ll show you where the shift schedule is,” the officer says, walking over to a large bulletin board set up at the entrance of the hall. “Here’s where you’ll see what times you’ll be working during this month. You’re in C group, so just look at those times,” the person says. Keith glances over the board and…

“Wait, I only work eight hours a day?”

The officer smiles. “Oh! Are you from out of the kingdom?” Keith nods, feeling that confusion begin to climb up his throat. He feels like he’s going to choke on it. “A few years ago, Prince Lance passed a law essentially stating the working class could only work a total of 8 hours a day if they worked in shops or within the castle. He’d explained that he didn’t want shop owners to abuse their laborers and set the standard within the castle first.” 

Keith’s eyes flick back to the board and… yup, each group only worked a total of eight hours a day. “What am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?” 

The commander shrugs. “Whatever you want. You can leave and explore the capital or just lounge in your bunk.” 

“Huh.”  
As the week goes by, Keith picks up a few more… oddities. Being a guard in the castle is surprisingly low stress. Keith has a specific part of the castle he guards and he’s supposed to make a loop around that area every hour or so. The rest of the time he can sit on a stool and guard from there. And then! They actually follow through on the ‘only eight hours’ law. Like, someone actually comes to switch places with him after 8 hours. 

Then, the castle is surprisingly loud. Keith constantly hears the castle staff chatting away while they work, and laughter is a commonality. On past missions, the castles Keith have been in have always been deadly silent, but this castle can only be described as lively. Everyone’s so friendly it’s been making Keith’s skin itch. 

He’s also noticed strange things with the train grounds. It seems the commanding officers have started training sessions anyone can join--like, soldier or civilian. And what they’re teaching is actually solid stuff! Keith’s always fairly impressed when he walks by and sees what they're up to. The classes seem to be a mix of self defence and sword training, and some appear to be soldier only. When he asked what the Prince thought of all this--you know, civilians learning how to fight and all--he was told the Prince actually encouraged it! 

That was another thing! Everyone just called the Prince ‘Prince Lance!’ No ‘his majesty,’ or ‘his excellency’ or ‘his highness!’ Just, Prince Lance. Keith hasn’t asked about this yet, too fearful of the answer he might receive. 

‘Why would anyone want to kill this guy?’ Keith wondered multiple times a day as he encountered the easy going faces of the castle staff. ‘There has to be something more.’ 

Another week passes before Keith finally meets the Prince face to face. It happens on the training ground, the sun shining down heavily on this particular day. Keith is practicing his sword skills (he might as well since he only works 8 hours a day what is happening to the world he thought the Prince was going to work his staff to the bone what the fuck is this ‘8 hours a day’ only shit what is going on here this is not how a corrupt prince treats his staff) when the commanding officer on the field whistles. Remembering from his crash course of a training day--an interesting disaster he’ll never forget as the other two guards by his station tried to tell him everything he needed to know for the future and all the hot gossip of the castle (that Keith only remembers for Pidge)--he knows that means royalty is coming and he needs to line up. Walking over to the others, Keith ends up at the end of the line. He faces straight ahead, but he can’t help but take a peak. The Prince walks onto the field and…

The sunlight seems to create a halo around him for only just a moment, before glinting off his golden circlet crown. An air of elegance surrounds him, bleeding from his every movement as he walks closer to the commanding officer, who stands in the middle of the line. His shoulders back, head up, a look on his face that screams he’s never seen blood before. The light blue fabric of the cape draped over his shoulder and trailing behind him matches the color of his deep blue eyes… which Keith only now realizes have locked onto his own. 

‘Fuck. Now I’m dead,’ he thinks, ready for reality to slap him in the face once again. But…

The Prince only smiles at him. A dazzling, radiant smile, making Keith feel like maybe he’s never seen anyone actually smile before this moment. 

The Prince and Officer exchange a few words, Keith to out of his own head to really hear what is being said, but still noting the lyrical way the Prince speaks--like a songbird almost. 

And suddenly, those blue eyes are right in front of him. The Prince smiles at him again, but this time it’s something coy--a smirk. Keith feels his breath catch in his throat.

“Keith, right?” Prince Lance says, leaning in just a bit to close for Keith’s comfort. He nods hesitantly anyway. The Prince nods, raising his hand up to stroke at his chin. “Yes, this’ll be perfect,” he says in delight as his eyes scan up and down Keith’s body and…

Oh.

Here it is.

“From now on you will be my personal guard! Andy here will explain everything to you. You’ll start tomorrow,” he says with a grin as he clearly checks out Keith’s face. Keith works hard to keep a scowl away. He nods, and the Prince gives him one last smirk before spinning on his heels and walking away. Keith watches him as he goes, the knot that had been living in his stomach for the past 2 weeks slowly fading away. 

Time to get to work.

\---

Or… maybe not.

Keith stands guard at the entry to the garden, watching as the Prince, the current ruler of Sabor, the person who could behead him at any given moment, gives his niece a piggyback ride. 

A piggyback ride. 

The girl squeals in delight, bouncing around atop the Prince’s shoulders, while her brother chases the Prince with a wooden sword, batting away at his legs. The children’s mother, Princess Veronica, sits under an archway of wisteria, sipping on tea as a smile lingers on her face. 

It’s Keith’s first day as the Prince’s personal guard and it’s been like this… all morning. After breakfast, Keith had been shown where the Prince’s room is (a fact tucked away for later…), where he was told to just wait for the Prince to come out and then… follow him around. He would now be working a longer shift, but that came with an increased pay and he had been given the chance to decline (not like he would waste this opportunity). 

All morning, the only thing the Prince has done is visit all of his family members and play with his nieces and nephews. 

All. Morning. 

Keith has been subjected to this… pureness. 

What the fuck. 

And the Prince hasn’t even looked his way once.

Not once! 

Keith was expecting… well, he didn’t really know what he was expecting, truth be told, but it definitely wasn’t this.

Too lost in his own thoughts, Keith fails to notice the Princess has approached him. “Are you Lance’s new guard?” She asks, a smile on her face and--ah, Keith sees their resemblance. 

“Yes, Princess Veronica. I just started today,” he says. She nods, turning back to the scene playing out before him. 

“You probably think he’s a fool now, playing around with his family all morning,” she says with a light laugh. Keith chokes on air. ‘Is she allowed to say that? I mean, she’s right but what the fuck.’ 

The Princess gives him a grin. “It’s fine, you don’t need to be uptight.” The two stand in silence for a moment, watching, before the Princess carries on. “I think this is how he de-stresses. He works so hard for this kingdom and…” she bites her lip, “he is a fool, but a kind one. Please, take care of him,” she says quietly and… 

Oh God. Now, Keith can’t tear his eyes away from the scene before him. Of the Prince playing with the kids, the Princess smiling softly as she watches from beside the person who’s going to murder the brother she loves so much. 

He’s going to destroy all of this.

Can he still do that?

\---

“I think you need to try this for me,” Prince Lance suddenly says that night at dinner, pointing rabbit coated in elderberry sauce spiked on a fork at him. He’s got his elbows on the table, resting his head on his hand as the other wiggles the fork at him, and in the soft orange candlelight he looks like a fae. Not of this world. Something… other, trying to tempt Keith to fall into his trap.

Keith blinks. “Um…”

“You’d rather I be poisoned?” Prince Lance asks with a grin, teeth pearly white and perfectly straight. 

‘God, maybe,’ Keith thinks in distress, wholly unsure of himself, but he can’t let the Prince think that. So, hesitantly, Keith leans forward and takes the mouthful and… oh, it’s delicious. “Oh my god,” he says under his breath. He’s never tasted anything so decadent. Is this how royalty eats every night? Maybe he should become a corrupt noble if only he gets to taste this again. “I-- uh, think it’s fine,” he says, locking eyes with the Prince, who once again feels far to close. 

Prince Lance nods and smiles, leaning back. 

“You should try some of the wine too--just to be safe. Sit,” he says. And Keith can’t find it in him to disobey, not at the chance he might get to try more. 

The wait staff chuckle in the wings, but Keith can’t hear them at all. 

\---

Keith had sat in on the advising meeting yesterday, a boring affair by all accounts, and thus nothing like the scene that is playing out before him now.

“Prince Lance! You cannot be so unreasonable! We need to clear that land out immediately to create new exports! We need money if we are to survive as a kingdom, lest your thick skull forget that,” Advisor James says, slamming his hands down onto the table. Keith nearly draws then, but one look around the room tells him this may be a common occurrence.

Prince Lance jumps to his feet as well. “Absolutely not!” He yells. “If we were to clear it now, the people living there would have no time to move comfortably! Where could they go on such short notice? It would be better to clear the land by your property, seeing as you're so passionate about creating new farm land,” he says with a huff.

“Who cares about the people--”

“I do!” The prince yells, passion and anger bleeding into his voice, causing Keith to jump for the first time in… years. 

“Yes. How could I forget, you nearly drain our coffers giving out that stimulus check to the masses,” Advisor James says, scrunching up his nose. The Prince waves his words away, rolling his eyes in such dramatic fashion Keith is impressed they don’t roll out of his head. “Enough about the stimulus check,” he says, exhaustion dragging his shoulders down. 

The two sit back down, though neither look at each other, and the meeting continues on to other topics. But no matter how Keith tries to distract himself with what is happening before him, he can’t get the exchange out of his mind.

The reason the kingdom is on the verge of bankruptcy is because the Prince gave his money to his people. As a way to stimulate the economy, sure, but…

The Prince gave away his money to help his people. 

Can he still do this?

He’s shaken from his thoughts when he hears the door to the meeting room open. He watches as the advisors file out, waiting for the Prince to stand and follow them just as he’d done yesterday, but he doesn’t. Instead, when the door closes shut, the Prince slumps down onto the table. 

“Lance--” Keith says, reaching out in shock, but before Keith can place a finger on the Prince, Prince Lance turns to face him, still laying on the table. 

“What a bunch of assholes, am I right,” he says, a grin stretching across his face. Keith freezes in shock at hearing the Prince speak with such vulgarity (for royalty at least), before a small smile crosses his face as well. He chuckles a little, turning to face the door, missing the twinkles of joy that appear in Prince Lance’s eyes as he watches Keith smile. 

“Yeah,” Keith says as he thinks about what he’s going to do next. 

\---

(It’s only later that night does he realize he’d called the Prince by name, face turning a blazing red in embarrassment.) 

\---

Keith stands guard outside the Prince’s study, where he’s cooped himself up in for the past few hours, when he spots two servant girls walking down the hallway. 

“Poor Prince Lance, I heard another ambassador’s come,” one whispers to the other, shaking her head. Keith, figuring he’s already dug himself in deep enough, stops the two as they pass him by. 

“What’s going on?” He asks. The two look over to him, then to each other, before scurrying closer. If there’s one thing all people love to share, it’s gossip. 

“An ambassador from Altea’s shown up again, requesting to see the Prince. They always show up at the worst of times,” the brown haired one says, pity woven in her tone. 

Keith tilts his head, confusion, as it often has recently, settling over him. At the look he gives the girls, they explain in more detail.

“For generations, Sabor has actually been under Altea’s rule. We’re more like… a state then a kingdom,” the girl says as she waves her hands about as she tries to explain. At a nod from the blond haired girl, she continues, “Prince Lance can rule Sabor as he likes for the most part, but he has to listen to all of Altea’s requests, lest we want to be invaded,” she explains. “Prince Lance has been trying to get Sabor out from under Altea, but…” she shakes her head. “Altea is ruled over by Prince Lance’s cousin, Princess Allura, and it seems she won’t listen to anything he has to say. It’s a real pity.”

“Why would the Prince want to break away from Altea? They’re pretty powerful from what I know.”

“Sure, as an ally,” the blond says, “But we’re not allies, we’re under their control. We don’t have any freewill and anything big we want to do--like trading or importing, must go through Altea first. It really confines the nation and our options,” she explains. 

“How do servants know about exports and imports?” Keith can’t help but wonder out loud. 

The girls both swell with pride. 

“A few years back, Prince Lance helped build a public education system. We’re both properly educated ladies.”

Of course.

After a quick exchange of goodbyes, Keith is once again left in the hallway alone with his thoughts. He rubs the bridge of his nose, wondering why the world hates him so. A few more hours pass, and Keith begins to worry the Prince may have died in his office without him even needing to do anything.

What a blessing that would be.

He opens the door just enough for him to slip inside on soft feet. It closes behind him with a click, but Prince Lance doesn’t even notice. From here, Keith can see the dark eyebags the Prince is currently sporting, the candlelight seeming to deepen them even more. His hair is slightly rumpled, seemingly having had a hand run through it one to many times, and the glasses the Prince is currently wearing tip precariously on the bridge of his nose. His furious writing fills the whole room, and Keith wonders how badly his hand hurts. 

Stepping farther into the room, the Prince finally looks up, and Keith gets a full look at his tired eyes. A smile is quick to appear on his face, but the Prince’s happy-go-luck attitude has now been fully ruined for Keith.

‘I think this is how he de-stresses,’ he remembers Princess Veronica telling him, and now… he understands. 

“Oh! Keith,” Prince Lance says, leaning back in his chair. “Were you still waiting for me out there. I’m sorry--it’s been so long since I’ve had a personal guard I forgot you were out there,” he says with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head. “You can retire now, I can make it back to my room myself.”

And Keith… almost hesitates. The Prince looks like he’s going to pass out right then and there, Keith is positive he’s lying through his teeth. But. 

“Thank you, sir. I will,” he says, turning back to walk out the door.

But Keith is being paid to kill this man, and he can’t bring himself to touch a pure soul like that with his own bloodied hands. 

\---

Keith walks behind Prince Lance as they travel through the castle to his next appointment, and he knows he’s staring.

He knows, okay.

But he just can’t help it. 

What is he going to do now? He can’t kill this man! He’s too-- good! Kind! Passionate about helping his people. He’s not corrupt! This isn’t what he signed up for. 

Keith figures the boundary issue is just a personal tic, nothing sinister, and that just makes things even worse. Prince Lance is so… human. Keith doesn’t know what he’s going to do from this point on and--

A flash of steel glints in the corner of his eye. In slow motion, Keith watches as an assassin (another assassin? What the bloody hell?) leaps from behind a pillar, diving for the Prince. Keith sees the Prince’s eyes widen as the assassin draws near, recognition flashing across his face before… resignation? Wait no, that can’t be right. The Prince still has plenty of time to move, to dodge, to defend himself--but the milliseconds are ticking by and he’s not moving at all.

‘Fuck,’ Keith thinks as his body moves without his permission, placing itself between the blade and the Prince. At first, he doesn’t feel it, and for a moment he thinks maybe he didn’t get stabbed.

But now suddenly he’s looking up at the ceiling and his chest is blazing. He hears yelling, but he can’t focus on anything besides the pain. He thinks… someone may be calling for him? He’s unsure all he knows is ‘pain, pain, pain, pain,’ and it’s not stopping… 

Until it is? 

With the intense burning now no longer clouding his every thought, Keith lifts his head slightly only to find himself cradled in Prince Lance’s arms. The Prince’s hand is on his chest, covered in blood, and… glowing? Keith squints his eyes and. Yup. Prince Lance’s hands are definitely glowing. 

“What the fuck,” he mutters. The Prince’s eyes, which had been so focused on his chest, flick up to meet his. Relief floods them, and Prince Lance gives him a small smile.

“Royal magic. You know the drill,” he chuckles, and Keith can’t help but focus on his deep blue eyes. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe this Prince has seen blood before. Maybe he has fought just as much as Keith has for all his life--just on a different battlefield. Staring at his eyes reminds Keith of something… 

“Is this how you get rid of those horrid eyebags,” Keith slurs as he waves a hand drunkenly at the still-being-healed stab wound. The Prince blinks at him a few times, before a blinding joy takes over his entire face. He laughs, loudly, and Keith thinks it’s the loveliest sound he’s ever heard.

“Please do not reveal my dark secrets like this,” he says. 

\---

It’s late into the night, but Keith can’t sleep. The scene replays again and again in his head and Keith can’t help but feel… suspicious. He knows the Prince saw that man coming--yet when he could have moved he just… didn’t. It doesn’t add up. Something weird is happening. 

But Keith is not a logistics man. He’s all about action. So, instead of laying in bed and agonizing over his confusion, he decides to confront the Prince. 

It is tragically easy to get into the Prince’s room, the security so lax it feels like there aren't even any guards in this wing of the castle. He steps on light feet, years of training allowing him to move as silently as a shadow.

But it appears none of that is even necessary. The Prince is not in his lush bed, dreaming whatever it is that royals dream, but instead on his balcony. Keith watches as a light breeze flutters the curtains, the moonlight creating a glow around the Prince. He looks…

Ethereal.

And suddenly those deep blue eyes, which fascinated Keith to no end, are turned on him once again. The Prince smiles sadly but… there’s an air of pride about it. “You’re here,” he says, stepping into the room, “You’ve kept me waiting for far too long, my friend.”

Keith is bewildered.

“What?” He says in surprise.

“You’re here to kill me. Come on. Let’s get this over with,” he says as he makes his way closer to Keith. 

‘What the fuck?’

Keith throws his hands up, stopping the Prince. 

“Wait, no, hold on here. What is going on?” Keith asks, desperately confused. This is not how he thought this was going to go. 

“I hired you,” the Prince says matter of fact.

And it all…

Clicks.

How easy it was for him to get hired, why Prince Lance kept him so close, why he didn’t move when that other assassin attacked. 

It was all planned from the start. 

“So, commence with the murder,” he says with a chuckle, causing Keith to scream internally. “Please?”

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this,” he says, not knowing what else to say to make what is currently happening slow down for just a moment. 

“Come on, you’re doing great! Just one stab--it’ll be easy-peasy,” he said, spreading his arms wide, leaving his chest and neck vulnerable and--no. No.

“Look,” Keith says, “I’m gonna level with you,” Prince Lance drops his arms, instead crossing them at his chest, “I took this contract on the assumption that you were a corrupt person. Usually, when a country goes almost bankrupt this fast it’s because whoever’s in charge is lining their own pockets, but you--” Keith points angrily at the Prince, “you’re just a good person! There’s no getting around it! So, I’m not super on board with murdering you now,” Keith says with a shrug, “nothing personal.”

“But if you don’t, Veronica won’t get the life insurance payout from Altea, and this country will go into debt. We already have the threat of invasion over our heads, we’d be doomed to Altea’s shadow for the next century if we went into debt!”

“I’m pretty sure arranging for your own assassination is insurance fraud,” Keith pointedly says. 

“You’re whole job is to commit murder,” Prince Lance rebuts with a roll of his eyes, “and now you’re worried about a little insurance fraud?”

Keith pinches the bridge of his nose. “Let’s back up and think about this rationally. Have you considered faking your own death?”

The Prince sighs. “Where could I even go? I’m not taking any money from the treasury--God forbid it. And it’s not like I have any reliable relatives outside the castle to reach out to, nor do I have any skills that could allow me to survive as a working member of society,” he says, his arms falling to hug at his stomach instead. He looks… so tired. “If dying means giving this kingdom another push to independence, then…” he trails off with a shrug. 

“You could… come with me…” Keith says before he can stop himself. The Prince’s eyes flick up from where they’d been trained on the floor to his. 

“What?”

Keith clears his throat, suddenly nervous. “You could come with me, back to my country. Become a member of the assassins guild I work for. Many people there don’t talk about their pasts, and nobody asks. It would be perfect, I’ll even recommend you. We’ve been needing a new healer anyway and I know you know how to use a sword.”

The Prince is silent for a moment, eyes searching for something within Keith’s face. Suddenly, Keith realizes he’d mistaken this--how Prince Lance looks so deeply into peoples face to try to… he didn’t know, read them?--for Lance checking him out when they first meet, and he feels incredibly foolish. 

“You would do that for me?” The Prince whispers.

Keith shrugs. 

Lance seems to think for another moment, before his whole face lights with joy. He begins pacing, his hand at his mouth as he mumbles to himself. “Yes, this could be perfect. I can still keep in contact with my sisters and help them out when they need me while I’m away, and I could potentially come back in the future when we’re stronger to lead the kingdom to finally getting out from under Altea and--” the Prince turns to Keith, clapping him on his shoulders. Keith is shocked he doesn’t go blind looking at the Prince’s smile. “Oh Keith--you genius!” 

It’s easy to get everyone in the castle involved in the Prince’s fake death, most of them even excited to help with the ruse. After another week, Prince Lance is officially declared dead. 

And on the night of the Prince’s ‘death,’ the castle staff also loses one of their guard members.

The kitchen staff wave Keith and… Lance (just Lance now, such a freeing concept) out the back entrance, bombarding them with loads of goodies. 

“Where to now?” Lance asks, bumping his hip against Keith’s. The other grins. 

“Now we go home.” 

\---

“I’m back!” Keith yells as he bursts into the bar, Lance laughing loudly as he trails in after him.

“Welcome back!” Shiro says as the two approach him. He tilts his chin toward Lance. “Who’s he?”

“This is Lance,” Keith says with a small smirk. Shiro chokes on air. 

“Wait--”

“Yup,” Lance says, popping the ‘p.’ “That Lance.”

“Hold on,” Matt interrupts from beside Shiro. “You’re the one who hired us?” He says it like a question, his eyes looking Lance up and down suspiciously. 

“Correct,” Lance says with a nod and a smirk of his own.

“What the fuck, Keith,” Shiro wheezes beside him. Keith laughs, eyes shining with mirth.

“Yeah. Tell me about it.”

**Author's Note:**

> I sat down to write a thief Lance story and instead this came out. 
> 
> The two tumblr posts this is based off of have haunted me for years and I'm filled with relief that I finally got to get them out of my system. 
> 
> I think I might continue this?? I'm not sure where I want to take it though so it might be a while. We shall see 👀
> 
> Thanks for reading! Come yell at me on tumblr if you want! I use the same username there~


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